"But when (Jesus) saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 37. Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few, 38. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest.”
Jesus looked out at the multitude of people who were coming to Him for help, and He was filled with compassion for them because their needs were so great. They were like sheep who needed a shepherd. Actually, Jesus saw that they would need someone who would bring them to the Shepherd. He also compared them to a field ready to be harvested. He told His disciples that laborers were needed to gather that harvest. They would end up being those laborers, but others would be needed also. You and I need to read this and see ourselves as laborers in the harvest. First, I want to point out that these laborers do not need to necessarily be labeled as “missionaries.” Don’t misunderstand me, missionaries are needed on the fields of the world. But what we need to see is that we are laborers for Jesus right where we are. We just need to be “moved with compassion” as Jesus was, for there are many around us who are like “sheep without a shepherd.” Maybe life is so good for them right now that they do not see that need, but it is a need nevertheless. We need to consider that Jesus needs us right here where we are to be His laborers. Second, we might make the excuse that we are not qualified to be His laborers, to tell others about Jesus. But if Jesus is really your Savior, you are qualified to tell others about Him. You know how He saved you, you can simply share that with others. The only complication is our timidity and hesitation in telling others what Jesus has done for us. I understand that, because it is not always easy for me either. It’s just that when the Holy Spirit moves, we need to be sensitive to Him and to what He wants. You do not have to be a preacher to do that. Third, we need to know that the main thing that we need to do to be laborers in the harvest is to live the Christian life. That is absolutely the first requirement. It does not make any difference what we say if our lives do not back up our words. That does not mean that we are to live self-righteously. It does not mean that we are act judgmental around people. What it means is to just do what is right based on the Bible, and to treat other people like we want to be treated. Our greatest witness is our lives. People notice how we talk to them, and they notice how we treat other people. God forbid that they say about us, “if that is how Christians act, you can count me out.” Fourth, and it should probably be first, we should really care about the fact that people are lost without Jesus. We have to really believe what Jesus said about Himself in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father but by me.” These are not idle words. People need Jesus. All people need Jesus. Good, moral, law-abiding citizens need Jesus. The town drunk who never draws a sober breath needs Jesus. The prostitute who hangs out on the street corner needs Jesus. The executive who makes over a million dollars a year needs Jesus. The teenager who spends most of his or her days worrying about acne and “puppy love” needs Jesus. The person who has never attended church in his or her life, needs Jesus. I think that you get the idea. The world needs Jesus, because He is the way to eternal life. Peter said in Acts 4:12: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Please understand that you do not need to be an expert witness, for there are no “expert witnesses.” Just live the Christian life, and share what you know. It is really and truly that simple. Bro. Joe
1 Comment
Margaret M Jones
11/19/2015 10:34:18 am
Yes, a challenge
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